IMO AD has the leverage. He would be so underpaid on tags (for at least the 1st 2 tag years) vs. his value that it would make sense to hold out vs risking injury. He could very well hold out an entire season, force a trade more on his terms than the Rams terms, and still be better off financially. It will be bad optics for the Rams, and not without consequence in the locker room, to try to @#$%& AD over by paying him a fraction of his worth by tagging him. I think the Rams and AD will come to terms this offseason, but if they don't, tagging AD and expecting him to play on the tag will not happen IMO. Tagging AD will be only for trade purposes, and as you state, not all teams would be in the running. But if AD plays this year to his normal HOF level, there will be enough teams interested in his services that a trade would get done. The Rams might not get the draft haul they desire, but getting anything is better than nothing, which is what they will get if they try to tag him. Better to get him signed and stop dealing with the fantasy of having him play for a fraction of his value on tags. It will not happen.